United Nations Development Programme

Eye on Afghanistan

06 May 2013

"All the stories of our projects [in Afghanistan], some bigger in scope than others, have at their core the common aspirations of a people yearning to make their country a better place. Their dreams and hopes dovetail with UNDP’s core values and mandate in the areas of poverty reduction; democratic governance; crisis prevention and recovery; and environment and sustainable development.

It has become clear that the Afghan people are eager to learn and explore, and take on new challenges. Support from across the world—from governments, aid organizations and corporations—has been vital in that effort. And it is making a difference, as we demonstrate in the pages of the Afghan Development Advocate."

— Ajay Chhibber, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator of UNDP and Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

Our Stories

Kabul, Afghanistan — It was four years ago that Captain Zohra Daulatzia joined the Afghan National Police. But the mother of two girls still gets excited about that momentous day in her life when she achieved one of her life’s greatest ambitions.
“I was excited to wear the uniform and felt like I wamore

Despite rain and security challenges in many parts of the country, Afghans went to the polls on 5 April in Presidential and Provincial Council elections. The election marks the first time in Afghanistan’s history that power is handed from one democratically-elected government to another.
Young Afghamore

Farza, Kabul Province—Colonel Noor Aqa Ibrahimkhail, the district Chief of Police for Farza, located 45 kilometres north of Kabul, is a veteran officer who has experienced many brushes with violence and unrest throughout his career. But compared to his previous postings, he says, Farza is a haven ofmore

Until recently, women in the village of Jukna, in the remote province of Badghis in western Afghanistan, used to walk four kilometres a day to collect drinking water for their families. And even then, the scarce, brackish water was often a health hazard.
“The women used to collect water from uncovermore

At night, apart from the occasional flickering light of a kerosene lamp, Amir Hussain's village used to be shrouded in darkness. Until recently, the 150 families living in Sarasyab Shekhani, in Afghanistan’s remote mountainous northern Samangan Province, didn't have access to electricity.
"My more